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Grounds Maintenance, Commercial Services, Contract Management & Procurement

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our experts

Estate Services Audits: Grounds Maintenance & Cleaning Services

We conduct a comprehensive audit of your existing grounds maintenance service to identify areas for improvement and cost savings. Our Social Housing Consultancy specialises in helping housing associations achieve more from their grounds maintenance service.

We will conduct a comprehensive audit of your existing estate services, grounds maintenance and cleaning services to identify areas for improvement and cost savings.

For many Housing Associations, their grounds maintenance and cleaning services, as well as repairs, are critical elements in ensuring resident satisfaction. For this reason, Thornton & Lowe offers Estate Service Audits. Our experienced auditor will analyse the full service, from specification, site visits, commercials, supplier interviews and resident and service user satisfaction surveys. Not only do these audits provide a tool to independently verify your grounds maintenance performance, along with improvement actions, they can also identify quick wins, potential problems ahead of time and a chance to reassess and develop the service. This can be a vital tool in contract management, as well as a starting point for the next procurement exercise.

Continually assessing the delivery as it happens allows for a flawless service delivery whilst at the same time identifying training gaps within the team. It’s also a great opportunity to monitor compliance and health and safety, both for team members but also the general public.

Issues that get highlighted in these audits can have a large bearing on the customer experience but include points such as:

  • Quality of work
  • Missed items from the specification
  • Missed areas of the site
  • Quality of the finish
  • Health and Safety
  • Contract and wider compliance
  • Security
  • Interaction with the residents or general public
  • Environmental issues
  • Training opportunities
  • Brand and appearance - how the team are perceived

It’s also an opportunity to collect feedback from residents, asses if the specification is still 100% relevant, check site plans, and collate ideas and future proposals to improve. Undertaking regular independent audits and recording this data demonstrates a high level of commitment to quality and value for money. It also provides a route to consistently monitor whether you are receiving the service and social value which has been promised in the bid.

Auditing contracts prior to contract start and then at regular intervals also gives the client a benchmark and KPIs, as well as demonstrating continuous improvement.

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Setting Up a DLO: Bringing Your Estate Services, Grounds Maintenance Service In-House

One of the challenges many Public Sector bodies face is whether they are better bringing the service in-house, as part of a DLO (Direct Labour Organisation). This is driven largely by the increasing cost of the service and by the poor quality of service, which in turn delivers low levels of resident satisfaction.

Below we detail some of the risks and options when a housing association is considering taking their estate services, grounds maintenance and cleaning services in-house.

Common concerns for a Housing association bringing their grounds maintenance service in-house:

Risk

Mitigation Strategy

Increased costs

Cost-benefit analysis and business plan - is it financially feasible and what benefits do you expect? What additional costs are there for delivery beyond staff, equipment, technology? T&L can complete a full commercial analysis along with financial and quality monitoring and management tools.

Lack of expertise

Recruit or up-skill management staff with the necessary expertise to a manage grounds maintenance service. T&L can help you identity the right person for the role and what skills and systems they need.

Equipment costs

To purchase or lease equipment? What can be planned in advance? Likely budget for ongoing maintenance and replacement costs? Benefits and challenges of buying used equipment? T&L can advise on where you can save money, what deals are available and what is worth investing in.

Staffing challenges

Recruitment and retention in estate services is no easy task. Beyond TUPE, is your HR team familiar with recruiting grounds maintenance operatives, cleaning staff and supervisor roles? T&L can review and propose recruitment and retention strategies, which are tried and tested in grounds maintenance, for the housing sector. Can you offer competitive salaries and benefits packages, and provide opportunities for professional development and advancement within budget? Let T&L advise and propose options for your assessment.

Legal and regulatory

compliance

What laws and regulations in grounds maintenance will impact you? Are you sure your service and depots are compliant? Let T&L develop the strategy and monitor compliance.

Health and safety risks

Do you have comprehensive health and safety procedures and appropriate training for your grounds maintenance team? What’s the best way to structure your safety audits and inspections, and take corrective action as needed. Let T&L advise.

Disruption to service

Plan carefully to minimise disruption to service during the transition period. Communication is key with all stakeholders including residents of course, but what can be achieved with your contractors? How can they help you? T&L create a plan and manage your process throughout.



For Housing Associations trying to improve their grounds maintenance, cleaning or wider estate services, we can provide:

  • Audits of the existing service, including value for money and commercial and quality analysis
  • Customer satisfaction reviews through surgeries and surveys
  • Review of current cost and expected costs for budget creation
  • Continued contract management of existing contracts
  • Development and refinement of specifications
  • Supporting the preparation of tender and procurement exercises, including evaluation, site visits and interviews
  • Assisting in the preparation and process of bringing the service in-house.

To discuss this further please contact us now via hello@thorntonandlowe.com or submitting the contact form here.

One of the challenges many public sector bodies face is whether they are better bringing the service in-house, as part of a DLO. This is driven largely by the increasing cost of the service and by the poor quality of service, which in turn delivers low levels of resident satisfaction.

Below we detail some of the risks and options when a housing association is considering taking their grounds maintenance service in-house.


Common concerns for a housing association bringing their grounds maintenance service in-house


Risk

Mitigation Strategy

Increased costs

Cost benefit analysis and business plan - is it financially feasible and what benefits do you expect? What additional costs are there for delivery beyond staff, equipment, technology? T&L can complete a full commercial analysis along with financial and quality monitoring and management tools.

Lack of expertise

Recruit or up-skill management staff with the necessary expertise to a manage grounds maintenance service. T&L can help you identity the right person for the role and what skills and systems they need.

Equipment costs

To purchase or lease equipment? What can be planned in advance? Likely budget for ongoing maintenance and replacement costs? Benefits and challenges of buying used equipment? T&L can advise on where you can save money, what deals are available and what is worth investing in.

Staffing challenges

Recruitment and retention in grounds maintenance is no easy task. Beyond TUPE, is your HR team familiar with recruiting GM operative and supervisor roles? T&L can review and propose recruitment and retention strategies, which are tried and tested in grounds maintenance, for the housing sector. Can you offer competitive salaries and benefits packages, and provide opportunities for professional development and advancement within budget? Let T&L advise and propose options for your assessment.

Legal and regulatory compliance

What laws and regulations in grounds maintenance will impact you? Are you sure your service and depots are compliant? Let T&L develop the strategy and monitor compliance.

Health and safety risks

Do you have comprehensive health and safety procedures and appropriate training for your grounds maintenance team? What’s the best way to structure your safety audits and inspections, and take corrective action as needed.

Disruption to service

Plan carefully to minimise disruption to service during the transition period. Communication is key with all stakeholders including residents of course, but what can be achieved with your contractors? How can they help you? T&L create a plan and manage your process throughout.


Speak to an expert

Estate Services Contract Management

Our outsourced contract management solution for your estate services, including grounds maintenance and cleaning services can bring significant benefits to Housing Associations.

At Thornton & Lowe we offer:

Expertise - by outsourcing your services to Thornton & Lowe, Housing Associations can benefit from the expertise and experience of professionals who specialise in not just contract management and supply chain but also estate services. This can help ensure that grounds maintenance services are delivered to a high standard, with minimal disruption to residents

Time savings - we understand capacity can be tight. Let us free up staff time and resources, allowing you to focus on core activities. This can help improve efficiency and productivity, while providing a source of accountability for the contract

Cost savings - we understand the cost of doing business in this sector and therefore the opportunities for cost savings. By having regular and informed discussions we can carefully negotiate the delivery and maximise what is available from contractors

Improved service quality - by systematically and proactively reviewing service delivery we can not only improve quality and satisfaction, we can also identify and help plan for future requirements

Risk management - contract management providers can also help housing associations manage risk by ensuring that suppliers meet all relevant legal and regulatory requirements and that appropriate insurance and liability arrangements are in place.

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Grounds Maintenance Service Development Programme

Grounds maintenance plays a vital role in keeping outdoor spaces safe, functional and visually appealing. Housing associations and other property managers face unique challenges in this area, requiring specialised knowledge and skills to ensure high-quality service delivery. A comprehensive approach to grounds management can lead to significant improvements in both operational efficiency and resident satisfaction.

To address these needs, innovative programmes have emerged that offer tailored support and training for housing professionals. These initiatives combine hands-on guidance with strategic planning, helping organisations enhance their in-house capabilities and achieve long-term success in grounds maintenance. By focusing on key areas such as performance management, cost control and resident engagement, these programmes empower teams to deliver exceptional grounds maintenance services whilst adhering to best practices in health and safety.


Programme Offerings and Costs

The company provides tailored support packages for housing associations. A 3-month intervention starts at £750 per month, totalling £2,250. This short-term option focuses on quick improvements. Longer 6 and 12-month packages offer ongoing mentorship and operational enhancements. These address both immediate issues and future objectives.

Grounds Maintenance Performance Management Training is available from £1,350 + VAT per organisation.


Customised Solutions

Each housing association receives tailored support to match its unique needs. The company offers:

  • Customised grounds maintenance specifications
  • Procurement preparation with site mapping
  • Staffing structure optimisation

These solutions align with the organisation's goals and values. The approach emphasises collaboration to ensure improvements fit the association's long-term vision.


Ongoing Enhancement and Assistance

The programme provides:

  • Regular feedback
  • Continuous mentorship
  • Skills development for team members

This ongoing support helps achieve quick wins and builds long-term capability. The aim is to empower teams to maintain high-quality grounds maintenance services independently.

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